Wonderland

KALEIDOSCOPE is delighted and excited to unveil their young person’s creative programme: WONDERLAND, with eight stages, workshops and inspirational activities for all ages alongside the ever-burgeoning musical line up and entertainment.

Wonderland will take place in two locations in the stunning grounds of Russborough house with each area tailored to specific age groups. WONDERLAND in the Woods for the younger children (4-10 years) is set in a magical woodland, it’s even an adventure for the little ‘uns to get there as you cross a magical red Japanese footbridge to arrive on the whimsical Lady Beit Island which is surrounded by the tallest and rarest trees on the Russborough estate. The second location, WONDERLAND in the Walled Garden has been designed to entertain and educate the all-knowing teenagers in the family (10-16 years). The stunning walled gardens are the perfect setting to be inspired and creative with everything from photography, animation and film workshops to story book clinics and writing and much more …

These two areas of wonder are bound to entice, excite, engage and stimulate children and young adults of all ages and interests. There will be 4 stages for 4-10s (Science, History & Nature / Creativity / Storytelling / Workshops) and 4 stages for 10-16s (Creativity / Storytelling/ Workshops / Empowerment). Over the course of the festival, dozens of creative and brilliant minds will converge on Russborough House to deliver an innovative programme of truly epic proportions for children and teenagers!

KALEIDOSCOPE Festival is encouraging budding creatives and visual minds of all ages and abilities to pack their sketchbooks, notebooks, pens, pencils and cameras and dive into the art and photography workshops taking place across the weekend. With contributors from all walks of artistic life, from the incomparable Don Conroy to the Hen’s Teeth Doodlebooth, graphic designers to the National Gallery of Ireland – festival goers are invited to engage in workshops and talks designed to prove that art and inspiration come in many different guises!

WONDERLAND’s demos, talks and workshops will be led by a huge variety of top Irish and international artists including: Aga Grandowicz, Al Murphy, Andy Rementer, Aoife Dooley, Boys & Girls, Cian Ryan, Deirdre Breen, Design Partners, Ian Anderson TDR™, ICAD, Izzy Wheels, Jon Burgerman, Mack Signs, Morag Myerscough, RichardsDee, Signs of Power, WhyDesign and many more to be announced.

Could you be the next great Rock & Roll photographer of your generation? Well grab your camera and get snapping, with photography workshops being led by some of the best in the business, including Linda Brownlee, Annie Collinge and Evan Doherty, to name but a few!

If moving image, film and animation are more your vibe, then you’re in luck! The incredibly talented teams from Digital Beast, Motherland and Cartoon Saloon will be there to inspire and encourage aspiring film makers and animation aficionados alike. Cinema Under the Stars at The Hippodrome will even be screening some of the acclaimed productions of these amazing teams on the big screen over the course of the weekend! We’ll also be showing Nathan Jurevicius’ ‘Quiggle’ series, Oliver Jeffers’ ‘Lost & Found’, Conor Finnegan’s ‘Becca’s Bunch’amongst lots of other family favourites and more.

KALEIDOSCOPE Festival is thrilled to be working with Children’s Books Ireland who will be hosting story book clinics along with a plethora of authors and creative spirits across the weekend. Avid readers and budding illustrators will have the opportunity to learn from some of the most acclaimed illustrators and authors of our time. Whether your bedtime reading consists of classic novels, fairy tales or comic books, bookworms of all makes are sure to find something they love in the range of talks, workshops and hands-on tutelage that the WONDERLAND stages have to offer. Contributors to the programme will include Anorak Magazine, Chris Haughton, Chris Judge, Dot Magazine, Genevieve Gauckler, Holly Pereira, Jill & Gill, John Burke of Irelandopedia, Tado, Matthew Griffin, Sarah Webb, My Higher Shelf, Nicola Colton, Paula McGloin, Rebecca Cobb, Sally Caulwell, Steve Simpson & Sub City Comics with more to come. These sessions are not to be missed!

Gather round, listen to a tale or two, or indeed, spin a yarn yourself! KALEIDOSCOPE Festival is delighted to be working with Fighting Words to deliver a spoken word programme for kids and teens centred on standing up and being heard! Fighting Words harnesses the power of the imagination and creative writing to shape creative and resilient children and young people, who are empowered through the art of storytelling to be the shapers of their own worlds! Also joining us over the festival weekend is the passionate team behind Mother Tongues, who will deliver workshops and talks designed to celebrate the beauty and benefits of bilingualism, to discuss the challenges of bilingualism and to teach children about languages from around the world! KALEIDOSCOPE is also excited to welcome the team from the ever empowering The Other podcast who will join us over the weekend.

The tech-wiz in the family should be sure to look out for the excellent Coder Dojo Unplugged sessions with the team from Lightscape - a projection mapping and creative content studio based in Dublin; whose mind-blowing creations need to be seen to be believed!

Lab coats at the ready as the Science Gallery will host collaborative activities intended to bring out the mad scientist in all of us! Science Gallery, located in Dublin, is a space where science and art collide, to excite the imagination and stimulate the mind. KALEIDOSCOPE is also excited to be working with Explorium - Ireland’s National Sports and Science Centre-to produce a programme that takes science out of the laboratory and into the rolling hills of Wicklow. If you are fascinated by amphibians and all sorts of creepy crawlies, then you will find a kindred spirit inCollie Ennis! Collie, a research associate in the Department of Zoology at Trinity College Dublin, will be on hand to share his vast knowledge and passion for bugs and reptiles with his follow herpetology enthusiasts. If you have a keen sense of adventure and a healthy interest in the supernatural then you simply must join cryptozoologist Dr Mick Marmaduke as he quests through the wilds of Russborough House on an epic monster hunt! KALEIDOSCOPE is also pleased to welcome nutrition guru Alan Flanagan, with many more exciting hosts to be announced. Talks and workshops centred on nature and the environment are also planned with contributors ranging from Diarmuid Gavin, to The Upcycle Movement and eco-conscious womenswear brand Zoë Carol.

If after all that you are still on the hunt for some truly uplifting and motivational chat, then look no further than Creative Mornings, a monthly breakfast lecture series for creative communities who will be joining us at KALEIDOSCOPE to get festivalgoers all revved up and ignite the imagination!

And not forgetting the tiny tots! KALEIDOSCOPE’s RUMPLEDUMPUS tent delivers fabulous fun for festival families with tiny tots in tow!

Set on the beautiful lawn of Russborough House and adjacent to its playful playground and amazing maze, RUMPLEDUMPUS offers a wonderful array of gentle entertainments suitable for the whole family with a focus on the toppling toddlers and babbling babies.

Start the morning the right way and centre yourself for the day with Family Meditation sessions led by Dawn Nolan of My Higher Shelf. Join musician Shane McGrath for The Teddy Bears Picnic Play & Singalong - an interactive performance, which invites the audience to move, sing and play along, influenced by the “Teddy Bears Picnic” along with many other of your favourite nursery rhymes. Learn how to play an array of gongs, bells and xylophones with workshops by the National Concert Hall’s Javanese Gamelan Orchestra or simply bop away to your hearts content in the Baby Disco, the Baby Rave and the Kids Disco led by professional musician and DJ Cian Lernihan.

And that’s not all!

Whistle In The Wind by Ceol Connected invites you on a magical musical adventure to Whistleberry Forest! This delightful musical trail takes children and accompanying adults on an adventure through the forest where they explore musical soundscapes, sing, dance, and meet Ornaith the owl, Sorley the snail, and Faolán the frog. (Suitable for children ages 2-6 and their parents/guardians.)

Children taking part in Rumpledumpus and Wonderland activities must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times. Some activities have a limited capacity and places will be available on a first come first serve basis.

So, join us at Russborough House from June 28^th-30^th 2019 - we can’t wait to share our jam-packed programme with you!